Future of Iraq Task Force

Many governance experts see decentralization as a potential model to mitigate political and sectarian challenges in Syria, Libya, and Iraq and improve livelihoods in those countries by restoring basic services to local populations. But in countries with a long history of absolute control, central government officials frequently resist any reforms seen as weakening their influence, and local governing bodies may not have the capacity to absorb increased responsibility. In recent years, the lack of public service delivery in conflict-affected countries in the Middle East has enabled organized armed groups to claim legitimacy because they can provide such services. Despite these challenges, the government of Iraq, assisted by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has demonstrated that decentralization can distribute responsibility and authority effectively, improve service delivery, and diminish the influence of extremist groups.

Nussaibah Younis, Excecutive Director of the Task Force on the Future of Iraq, explains the key findings of the report. "There is an incredible appetite amongst Iraqis from all parts of the country, including Iraqi Shia's, Sunnis, Kurds, and minority communities for the United States to remain militarily inside Iraq beyond the liberation of Mosul and beyond the liberation of all of Iraq's territories from ISIS," Younis says.
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Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Chair of the Task Force on the Future of Iraq points to the conclusion of the United States' offensive in Mosul against the Islamic State (ISIS) saying, "We've got to focus on the fact that the Islamic State itself is not the problem, it's the symptom of the problem."